Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 33F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 33F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.

A camper caught fire in Townshend on Tuesday. The cause is still under investigation, but it is believed to have started from an electrical problem.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday. What was originally reported as a structure fire turned out to be an electrical problem in a camper that spread to two other vehicles nearby.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday. What was originally reported as a structure fire turned out to be an electrical problem in a camper that spread to two other vehicles nearby.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday.

A camper caught fire in Townshend on Tuesday. The cause is still under investigation, but it is believed to have started from an electrical problem.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday. What was originally reported as a structure fire turned out to be an electrical problem in a camper that spread to two other vehicles nearby.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday. What was originally reported as a structure fire turned out to be an electrical problem in a camper that spread to two other vehicles nearby.

Firefighters responded to a first-alarm fire at 609 Grafton Road in Townshend on Tuesday.

TOWNSHEND — Local firefighters responded to a call on Route 35 just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, after a suspected electrical fire set a camper ablaze and damaged two other vehicles.

Townshend Fire Chief Glen Beattie said that, while he was trying to get to the station to get one of the fire trucks, he saw a big plume of black smoke rising up to the sky.

It came from 609 Grafton Road, where homeowner Peter Fillion was working on his daughter’s van and a camper, prepping them for a cross-country trip.

“I went to go plug in the electrical cord in the camper to run power to my truck, and it wasn’t working,” said Fillion.

He then went downstairs in his house to check the circuit breaker, which was fine.

“I plugged in the extension cord to my battery charger in my truck to try to jump start the battery in the motor home, and my daughter said there was a smell,” Fillion said.

Fillion further checked the electrical connections, and all appeared OK.

“[My daughter said], ‘No, I smell something.’ She turns around, there was just smoke coming out of the camper. I had just been in there looking at the fuses and everything, and I left my phone in there and before I tried to go back and open up the door, and it was too late. It just happened so fast,” said Fillion.

He was able to get a hose and start putting out the fire when firefighters arrived. He said the Fire Department did a great job. No injuries were reported, and crews were able to stop the one-alarm fire from spreading to the house. The official cause is under investigation.

“It is heartbreaking. My utility trailer and my camper were lost,” said Fillion. “We’re not going to be using the camper to go cross country this year, I guess.”

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